Car-coupling



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. METGALF.

(No Model.)

OAR COUPLING.

Patented June 21 W717? 55 as %,6 4@

Jffo I 1? ("I s 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. METOALF.

(No Model.)

OAR COUPLING.

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XVILLIAM METOALF, OF LAKE, ILLINOIS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 365,270, dated June 21, 1887.

Application filed February 14, 1887. Serial No. 227,607. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM Mn'roALF, a citizen of the United States, residing in the town of Lake, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and use ful Improvement in Oar-Couplings, which is fully set forth in the following specification,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is an end elevation of a railwaycar having my improvement applied thereto; Fig. 2, a detail plan view of the same, taken on the line 00 0c of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a detail view of the crank for operating the coupler; Fig. 4, a detail view of the lever or handle for operating the same; Fig. 5, a detail side elevation of the mechanism on top of the car for operating the coupler; Fig. 6, a detail plan view of the coupling proper; Fig. 7, a central longitudinal sectional view of the same, taken on the line y g of Fig. 6; Fig. 8, a detail side elevation of the coupler and its tail-piece detached; Fig. 9, a front end elevation of the same; Fig. 10, a detail plan view of the hingejoint between the coupler and its tailpiece;

Fig.1l, a detail transverse sectional view of the coupling, taken on the line 2 z of Fig. 7; and Fig. 12, a detail sectional view of the front end of the draw-bar, taken on the line y y of Fig. 6, the coupler and link being removed.

Like letters refer to like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

My invention relates to car-couplings, and has for its object to produce an automaticcoupling device, which shall be simple and cheap in construct-ion and certain in its operation, and which may be substituted for the ordinary draw'bar without any additions to or alterations in the draft-rigging.

To these ends my invention consists in certain novel features, which I will now proceed to describe, and will-then particularly point out in the claims.

In the drawings, in which I have shown my invention practically carried out in one form, A represents the body of a railway-car, and B the longitudinal sills thereof.

0 represents the draw-bar, which is arranged between the two central sills in the manner shown in Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings, the said draw-bar resting upon suitable supportingplates, B, and being capable of a limited longitudinal motion. This draw-bar may be of any suitable or approved construction, and, although in the present instance I have shown it as a bar cast in a single piece, any other wellknown form of draw-bar may be substituted. This drawbar also performs the function of a buffer, having for that purpose the usual enlarged head, 0, with a flaring internal mouth, f, to guide the link properly during the operation of coupling. The draw-bar C is provided in the rear of the head 0 with an internal recess, 0 to receive the coupler D, the said recess being of slightly larger dimensions than the said coupler and open at the top, in order to enable the coupler to be placed in position.

The coupler D, which fits within the recess 0, is pivoted at its rear end to a tail-piece, II, by any suitable form of hinge-joint, such, for instance, as that shown in detail in Fig. 10 of the drawings. The coupler D is preferably constructed of steel, or some other durable and strong material, and is provided at its forward end with the downward and rearward extending hook D, the front surface, d, of which is curved or inclined, as shown, so that when the hook is in its lowest or normal position the said incline forms practically a continua-- tion of the upper inclined wall of the mouth 0 of the draw-bar. A recess, (1', is formed in the coupler above and in the rear of the termination of the hook D, as clearly shown in the several figures of the drawings, the said recess d being of slightly larger dimensions than that portion of the link which is intended to be received therein.

To the rear of the hook D, and below the same, is a second hook or guiding-lug, D, the extremity of which is carried forward to a point about underneath the extremity of the hook D, while thebody portion of the said hook or guidinglug 1) extends rearward and upward, so as to guide the coup1ing-link into position in the rear of the hook D during the operation of coupling.

In order to accommodate the hooks D and D*, a second recess, 0', is formed in the bottom of the recess 0, said recess being of such a depth that when the coupler is depressed the hook D is entirely below the level of the bottom of the recess 0, while the extreme lower portion of the hook D also extends slightly below said'level. In order to properly guide the link in the act of coupling, I form in the sides of the recess 0', at the bottom thereof,

- guiding-grooves c, in which the sides of the link fit and into which they are guided by the flaring walls of the month 0 of the draw-bar. These grooves are, however, of slightly larger dimensions than those of the link, in order to allow a vertical play for this latter in order to accommodate itto the different heights of various draw-bars, and a slight projection, c, in the bottom of the mouth (3 forms a fulcrum, upon which the link may rest for this same purpose.

E represents the link, which in its preferred form is constructed of steel, of a total length considerably greater than the ordinary length, and consists of a central solid portion, 6, having enlarged link-shaped ends 6 to receive the hooks of the couplers D, the said ends being of proper dimension to fit withinand be' guided by the grooves c in the mannerhereinbefore described. These links are preferably connected to the car or to the draw-bar by means of a chain, E, so that when notin use they will be suspended in a. handy position. The front end of the draw-bar 0, below the mouth 0 therein, is provided with a vertical recess or groove, 0 of sufficient depth to accommodate the chain E, or at least one-half thereof, so that when the heads of the drawbars meet the chain will not be nipped or broken. The drawbar is provided with the usual aperture, 0, to receive the ordinary couplingpin, so that it may be used in conjunction with the ordinary link-and:piu coupling, when desired.

The coupler D is normally depressed, either by its own gravity orin the construction which I prefer, by means of a suitable spring or springs. The construction which I prefer for this purpose is that shown in the drawings, in which the spring Fis composed of two or more leaves, the rear end thereof being secured by means of a bolt,f, to the topof the draw-bar, while its forward end rests upon the top of the coupler D, near the front end thereof. In order to produce a properly-regulated pressure of this spring, I employ a yoke, G, surrounding the drawhar and bearing on the top of said spring, thisyoke preferably consisting of a top cross bar, g, resting upon the spring, and a bottom cross-bar, g, resting upon the under side of the draw-bar, the two cross-bars being connected at each end by means of bolts 9 provided with nuts 9 at their lower ends, by the tightening of which the pressure of the springmay be regulated, in an obvious manner. These nuts are readily accessible from the under side of the car, so that the tension of the spring may be regulated with great facility and without necessitating the detachment or removal of any of the parts. i

The tail-piece H, to which the coupler D is hinged, consists of a head, h, arrangedwithin the body' of the draw bar, and adapted, as hereinb'efore described, to receive the coupler D, and of a cylindrical bolt, h, extending loosely through a suitable aperture in the rear end of the draw-bar and threaded at its rear extremity to receive a nut, E. This rear portion of the tail-piece passes through two plates, I and l, which are mounted in guideways 2', attached to the sills B, and between said plates is arranged a spiral spring, J, surrounding the tail-piece H and bearing against the plates I and I. The sills B are provided with the usual thrust-blocks,j, at each end of the guideways i, by means of which the d raft is trans mitted to the said sills.

Any suitable means for raising the coupler D against the thrust of the spring F may be employed, the mechanism which I prefer for this purpose being that shown in Figs. 1 to 5 of the drawings. A chain, K, is attached to the coupler D, which is provided at its front upper edge with an aperturcd lug, d, for the attachment of said chain. In order to operate the coupler from the ground at each side of the car, I attach to the front of the car a shaft, K, which is mounted in suitable bearings, k, and is provided at each end with a handle or lever, by means of which it may be rotated, a suitable ratchetguide', 70, being at tached to the car-body to secure the said handle or lever in any desired position. At its central portion, immediately above the drawbar, the shaft K is provided with a projecting portion K shown in the present'instance as having the form 'of a double crank, and to this projecting portion the chain K is attached.

It will be readily seen that by rotating the shaft K in one direction or the other the coupler D may be raised or lowered, as desired. In order to operate the coupler from the top of the ear, I attach the chain K or a branch of the same to the lower end of a rod, L, slidingin suitable guides, Z, mounted on the end of the car and operated by means ofa lever, M, pivoted at its center and having one end slotted to receive the upper end of the rod '1, while its other end is similarly slotted and connected to the lower end of a rod, N,mounted to slide vertically in bearings or guides at, also mounted on the end of the car. The upper end of the rod N is pivoted to one end of a hand-lever, O, mounted on a suitable fulcrum, '0, on the top of the car, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5 of the drawings, and provided with a suitable locking-guide, O, by means of which said lever may be secured in any desired position.

It will be readily seen that by operating the i lever O in the proper direction the coupler D may be raised or lowered, as desired, from the top of the car. In either case it is not necessary for the attendant to pass between the cars during the operation of coupling or uncoupling. Other forms of operating mechanism for raising the coupler D may, however,

' be substituted, and I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to those forms just described.

The operation of my improved car-coupler ICO will be readilynnderstood from the preceding descrlption. In coupling, the link will first enter the mouth 0 of the draw-bar O, and will i be guided by the inclined walls thereof and by the grooves c in the manner hereinbefore described. The end of the link will then come into contact with the curved or inclined wall d of the forward end of the coupler D, and will raise the coupler upward against the action of the spring F. XVhen the coupler is raised to a sufficient extent, the end of the link passes between the hooks D and D the latter of which will guide it upward to cause it to clear the end of the hook D, while at the same time I the action of the link upon the said hook D will tend to force the coupler downward as soon as the link has passed clear of the hook D and to the rear thereof, thus aiding the action of the spring F and the gravity of the coupler, which all tend to force the said coupler positively downward, when the parts will assume the position shown in the drawings, with the link resting in the recess (1, in engagement with the hook D of the coupler. \Vhen the parts are in this position, accidental disconnection is practically impossible, and the cars will be securely coupled. The draft is transmitted, through the tail-piece H, plates I and I, and spring J, to the sills B and to the car, thus affording a spring-connection between the coupler and the car. The draw-bar O, which is capable of independent longitudinal motion, will, in backing, act as a buffer in conjunction with the spring J and plates I and I in an obvious manner, and in case the ordinary link-and-pin connection is used the draw-bar C will still operate in conjunction with the cushioning-spring J in transmitting the draft or thrust to the car. In uncoupling, 1t is only necessary to raise the coupler D, through the medium of the mechanisms described, until the passage between the hooks D and D is in line with the grooves a, when the link may be readily withdrawn to detach the car.

It will be seen that the coupling is not only automatic in its action, positive in the operation of coupling, andsecure when coupled,but it may also be readily uncoupled, when desired. Moreover, the entire apparatus may be substituted for the ordinary draw-bar without any alterationsin the draft-rigging. In coupling with other cars, when it is desirable or necessary to use the ordinary linkand-pin connection, my coupling is similar in its operation to and just as effective as the ordinary draw-bar.

It is obvious that various modifications in the details of construction and in the arrange ment of the parts may be made without departing from the principle of my invention, and I therefore do not wish to be understood as limiting myself strictly to the precise details hereinbefore described, and shown in the drawings.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new,and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

-1. In a ear-coupling, the drawbar provided with a suitable recess, in combination with the coupler pivoted in said recess and capable of yielding upward, said coupler being provided with a downward and rearward extending hook at its forward end and with a downward and forward extending hook or guidinglng to the rear of and below the said "hook, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In a ear-coupling, the draw-bar provided with a suitable recess and with lateral grooves in said recess to guide the link, in combina tion with the coupler pivoted in said recess and capable of. yielding upward, said coupler being provided with a downward and rearward extending hook at its forward end and with a downward and forward extending hook or guiding-lug to the rear of and below the said hook, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. In a carcoupling, the draw-bar C,having recess 0 O, with linkguiding grooves c, in combination with the coupler D, pivoted in said recess, normally depressed by a suitable spring and capable of yielding upward, said coupler being provided with the hook D, having inclined front surface, (I, the recess (2, and the hook or guiding-lug D substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. In a car-coupling, the draw-bar G, provided with a suitable recess, and the hooked coupler D, pivoted therein, in combination with the spring F, secured to the draw-bar at one end and having its free end bearing upon the coupler D, and the yoke G, consisting of the top cross-bar, g, resting on the spring, the bottom crossbar, g, resting under the drawbar, and the bolts g'flconnecting the cross-bars at each end and having the tension-nuts g on their lower ends, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

5. In a car-coupling, the combination, with draw-bar 0, having vertical grooves c in its face, and the hooked coupler D, ofthe link E, consisting of afiat bar having the link-shaped vertically-slotted end portions,e, to receive the couplers, and the central solid portion, 6, and the chain E, attached to the draw-bar or car at one end, and at its other end to the central solid portion, e, of the link, and adapted to be received in the grooves 6 when the draw-bars meet, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

\VILLIAM METGALF.

\Vitnesses:

IRVINE MILLER, O. FEIGEL. 

